When Aaron was reading that passage
of scripture, verse 5 stuck out to me, and Abraham said unto
his young men, abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad
will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. Now, was he saying that trying
to cover up his intention so they wouldn't know what he was
going to do? Or was he saying that because
he really believed that he would kill him and he would be raised
from the dead and they'd come back. We know from Hebrews 11,
he really believed that God would raise him from the dead. I love
that. Galatians chapter five, I hope that everybody here will
listen to this message very carefully. Now, I hope you listen to every
message very carefully. I hope I preach every message
seeking the Lord's direction and guidance and seeking a word
from him. But I hope to preach the gospel
in a very clear manner tonight, and I want you to listen very
carefully. Listen as if you've never heard
the gospel before. Try to put yourself in that place
and listen. I've entitled this message, Waiting
for the Hope of Righteousness. Waiting for the Hope of Righteousness. Paul says in verse 5, For we,
through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by
faith. Now, I want us to consider the
word we, for we, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of
righteousness by faith. We, unlike those who are circumcised. There's those who are circumcised,
and there's those who are we. Now, circumcision makes salvation
ultimately dependent upon you. It is an addition to Christ alone. It's not just the physical act,
it's law. That's all circumcision represents,
is law. Salvation in some way dependent
upon you doing something. Last week, we considered the
fourfold consequence of circumcision. Look in verse two, behold, I,
Paul, say unto you, that if you be circumcised, first Christ
shall profit you nothing. He's profited many people, but
he's not profited that one who's circumcised. And then he says
in verse three, for I testify again to every man that's circumcised,
that he's a debtor to do the whole law. You are required by
God to keep every commandment perfectly. That's your requirement. And then he says in verse 4,
Christ is become of no effect unto you. Whosoever of you are
justified by law, Christ has become no effect to you. Whosoever
you are circumcised and justified by law, you fourthly are fallen
from grace. For we through the Spirit wait
the hope of righteousness by faith. Now, who is the we? We wait for the hope of righteousness. Am I included in that demographic? If I said we're having dinner
at my house tonight, I would be referring to a specific number
of people. It wouldn't be some kind of generic
general term. It would be a specific group
of people that I was going to have at my house tonight. Or
if I said we're going on vacation, I would be thinking of some specific
people I'm going on vacation with. Now there is a specific
group, an exact number that is inherent in the word we. Who
is the we? Am I one? Am I one of these in
this group? Now by we, Paul means every believer. The whole company of God's elect. All for whom Christ died. All who look to Christ only. Now this word's found a lot in
the scripture. Paul said, we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them that are
called according to his purpose. We know. Who knows? Everybody
in that group, we, every believer. In James chapter three, verse
two, James says, in many things, we offend all. Who's the we? Those who really
believe that in many things, many things, they offend all. In John 1.16, of his fullness
have all we received. Who? All who received. In John 6.69, Peter said, we
believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the
living God. Now that we, he's speaking as
a spokesman of every believer. You believe that too, don't you?
You believe that, don't you? We believe that he's the Christ,
the Son of the living God. In Acts chapter four, verse 20,
Peter said, we cannot but speak those things which we've seen
and heard. This was, the we is all who've seen and heard something.
Many haven't, but many have too, and they're all in that group
we. In Acts chapter 15, verse 11, Peter said, we believe that
through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved
even as they. Do you believe that? Do you really
believe that? Then you're in this we. In 1
Corinthians chapter one, verses 22 and 23, Paul said the Jews
require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach
Christ crucified. Unto the Jews a stumbling block,
and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called.
Both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God. Christ, the
wisdom of God. Do you see Christ as the power
of God? Do you see him as the very wisdom
of God? Then you are in that we. Second Corinthians 4.13, Paul
said, we have the same spirit of faith as it's written. I have
believed and therefore have I spoken. We also believe and therefore
we speak. In second Corinthians 5.21, for
he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we, we. might be made the righteousness
of God in him. In Philippians 3.3, Paul said,
for we are the circumcision. We're the true Jews. We are the
circumcision, which worship God in the spirit. we realize the
only way we can worship is by the Holy Spirit, and we rejoice
in Christ Jesus. All of God's salvation is in
Christ, and simply to be found in Him, we rejoice, and we have
no confidence in the flesh. Now, would that be you? Do you
fit that, we? We Rejoice in Christ Jesus. Worship
God in the Spirit and have no confidence at all in the flesh.
I love this one. First John 4, 6. John says, We
are of God. He that knoweth God, heareth
us. I bet people got aggravated at that. Do you think you're
the only one? We are of God. He that knoweth God, heareth
us. He that's not of God, heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit
of truth and the spirit of error. First John 417, herein is our
love made perfect that we may have boldness on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world. As he is, so are
we in this world. Do you get the point? We, we. It's a very specific group. we as opposed to all those who
are circumcised. Now look what he says next in
our text in Galatians chapter 5 verse 5. For we through the
Spirit. Now everyone in this group we
has some understanding of the necessity of the work of the
Spirit of God in them, and here's why. They really believe that
they're totally depraved by nature. That's why. They believe there's
nothing that good can come out of them. They believe that they
could never believe, they could never repent, they could never
love. They're nothing but sin in and of themselves, and they
know that. They've been taught that by the Spirit of God, who
they are. And that's why they know that
it is only through the Spirit that they can wait for the hope
of righteousness by faith. They understand something of
the absolute necessity of the work of God the Holy Spirit.
Now I've already quoted this scripture. We are the circumcision
which worship God, how? In the Spirit. I have conviction that I cannot
worship God without the Spirit of God. The only way I can worship
is in the Spirit. Our Lord said it in John chapter
4 verse 24, God is Spirit. and they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth. Two things absolutely
requisite for the worship of God, the spirit of God, and the
truth, the truth of the gospel. Now, we have some understanding
Because we believe what the Bible says about us, Ephesians chapter
2 verse 1, and you hath he quickened who are dead in trespasses and
sins. We believe that. And we know it's only through
God the Holy Spirit that we can hear, that we can preach, that
we can believe, that we can receive, that we can have any kind of
hope. John put it this way in John 1, 12 and 13. He says, As
many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the
sons of God, even to them which believe on His name, which were
born. Not of blood. not because your
mom and dad are your Christians, not of the will of man, not because
a bunch of men got together and prayed you into the kingdom of
heaven, not of the will of the flesh, not as an act of your
free will, but of God. We, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness. Don't miss that. We, through
the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness. Now, let's
talk just a few moments about this word, hope. Turn with me
to Romans chapter 8. We, through the Spirit, wait
for the hope of righteousness. Verse 24, for we are saved by
hope. That's a strong statement, isn't
it? We are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not
hope. For what a man seeth, why doth
he yet hope for it? But if we hope for that we see
not, then do we with patience wait for it. Now, this hope that
we're waiting for is the hope of righteousness. We, through
the Spirit, are waiting for something we cannot see, the hope of righteousness. Now, what is righteousness? That's a very important question.
What is righteousness? Everybody used the term, but
what is righteousness? What does the Bible mean by this
word righteousness? Now, in answering that question,
let me say at the outset that if you believe that you have
any personal righteousness of your own that God could accept,
you have no idea of what righteousness is. You don't even have a clue. You're no different than that
parable of the Pharisee in the temple who stood and prayed thus
with himself, God, I thank thee that I'm not as other men are.
Remember, he spake a parable to certain which trusted in themselves
that they were righteous and despised others. Now, if you
have any personal righteousness, any, you do not even know what
righteousness is. Now, I hope you live a moral
life. You should. I hope you're faithful
to your spouse. You should be. I hope you pay
your bills and that you're a good example and that you're a hard
worker and that you do well on your job and you're kind to people
and gracious to people. I hope all those things. But
you know, you can be all those things and not have any righteousness
at all. You believe that? You can be
all those things and have absolutely no righteousness at all. Turn with me to Romans chapter
3. I want to read four nuns. Here's four nuns all of us need
to meet. Verse 10. As it is written, and
this is all that counts, what's written? As it's written, there
is none righteous, no, not one. Here's the second none, there's
none that understands. Here's the third none, there's
none that seeketh after God, not even one. Verse 12, they
are all gone out of the way, they're together become unprofitable,
there is none that doeth good. No, not one. Now that's the testimony of God's
word. Isaiah said in Isaiah 64 verse
six, our righteousnesses, are as filthy rags. Now, if you do not or if I do
not personally believe that about myself, it's because I'm completely
ignorant of righteousness. I have no idea what it is or
what it means. And like I said last Sunday,
what a man thinks about Christ is seen in what he thinks about
himself. And what a man believes about righteousness is clearly
seen by how he views himself. Now, If I have any understanding
of righteousness at all, I don't want to have anything to do with
my own righteousness. Paul put it this way in Philippians
chapter 3 verse 9, Oh that I may win Christ and be found in him,
and listen to this, not having my own righteousness. I don't
want to have anything to do with that. but that which is through
the faithfulness of Christ, the righteousness which is of God
by faith. Now righteousness is a righteousness
that a thrice holy God can actually be pleased with. That and nothing less is righteousness. It's perfection. A perfect righteousness
without sin where God Himself can find no fault. That and nothing less than that
is righteousness. And the only righteousness like
that is the righteousness of Christ. Amen? That's the only righteousness
there is. That's why David said in Psalm
71 16, I've made mention of thy righteousness even of thine only. The righteousness of God without
the law. Now watch this. The hope of righteousness. For we Through the Spirit, wait
for the hope of righteousness. Now, hope is something that you
cannot see. I cannot look at my works, my
conduct, my attitude, my preaching, my faith, anything about me and
see righteousness. I can't say, yes, I'm righteous.
I see it. Look at my conduct. Look at the
way I treat people. Look at what goes on in my mind. Look at my prayers. Yes, I'm
righteous. No, I can't. No, no, no, no,
no, no. I don't see myself that way at
all. I really don't. I see myself as very sinful. Everything I do, Even the good
stuff. Even the giving. Even the prayers.
Even the preaching. That's the way I see myself.
I cannot see righteousness. However, I have a hope regarding something that I cannot
see. That when God looks at me, right now, present tense, He
sees someone with perfect righteousness. And how God sees me is how I
really am. Perfectly righteous. I have a hope that when I stand
before God on judgment day, I will hear him say to me. And this scares a lot of you,
I know that. Scares me. but I believe it. I'm going to
hear him say to me, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou in to the joy of thy
Lord. And the reason he will say to
me, well done, thou good and faithful servant is because in
Christ. That's true of me. I did do well. I am a good and faithful servant
because He did well, and if He did well, I did well. If He's
a good and faithful servant, I am a good and faithful servant. I believe I'm going to hear that
on Judgment Day. I'm waiting for the hope. I can't see it. I really can't
see it. but I believe it. That's what hope is. Hope that's
seen is not hope for what a man seeth. Why is he yet hope for
it? But if we hope for that which
we see not, then we'll be with patience, wait for it. I'm waiting
with David. David said, as for me, I'll be
satisfied when I awake in thy likeness. I will behold thy face
in righteousness. I'll be completely righteous
beholding your righteous face. The angel in the sky, we just
sang that song, the angel in the sky cannot fully bear that
sight, that sight of Christ, but downward bends his wandering
eye to mystery so bright. But do you know we're going to
look at him face to face in absolute righteousness. Now that is the
hope of righteousness. Now if God sees me that way,
as I said, there is a reason Colossians 1 22 says that he's
going to present every believer holy Unblameable and unapprovable
in his sight now. I feel Unholy, I feel blamable
and I feel like there's a whole lot for me to be reproved about
But God says I'm holy and I'm unblameable and I'm unreprovable. Now, that is the power of the
blood of Christ. That is the power of the righteousness
of Christ. That's the power of the gospel
we believe. Makes us that way. Now, we don't see it yet, but
we believe it. Turn with me for a second to
1 Peter chapter 3. Well, first I want you to turn
to Romans 15 and put your finger there. Romans chapter 15, and
then I want you to turn to 1 Peter chapter 3. You got your finger in Romans
15 and then turn to 1 Peter chapter 3. Verse 15, Peter says, but
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and to be ready always
to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the
hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Now you be ready to
give everybody ask you a reason for that hope you have. Now why
would somebody be asking you in the first place about this
hope you have? Now turn to Romans chapter 15
verse 13. Now, verse 13, Romans 15, verse
13. Now, the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through
the power of the Holy Ghost. Beloved, if I believe, you know
what it does? It fills me with joy and it fills
me with peace. You know what I'd love? I'd love
for this to happen just one time. Not with me trying to, I know
religious people try to act and put on an act of joy and peace
and so on. I can't stay in that kind of
phonyness. I don't have anything to do with that. But I mean genuine
joy. genuine peace from believing
the gospel. Where somebody looks at me and
they say, what is the reason for your hope? Wouldn't you like
to have that happen once? I've never had it happen. Somebody's
never looked at me and seen all the radiant joy and peace and
said, what's the reason for your hope, man? I'd like to have it
happen once, wouldn't you? Well, Peter said, always be ready.
And I'll tell you what, this is the way it ought to be. If
I believe the gospel, what joy What peace through believing. I mean believing that God sees
me without sin. God sees me as holy and unblameable
and unreprovable in his sight. What joy there is in that. What
peace there is. Oh how I want to manifest it. Not in an act. But really believing
that way, where somebody says, man, what's your deal? Where'd
you get that? You know what I'd do then? I'd
give them the reason. Well, let me give you the reason.
Here's where this peace comes from. Here's where this joy comes
from. Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
stood as my surety before time began and guaranteed my salvation. It doesn't get any better than
that. He said, of my hand shall you require of him. If I bring
him not before thee and set him before thee, let me bear the
blame forever. And so the salvation I have was
actually accomplished before the world was. And you know,
that makes me happy. That gives me joy. That gives
me peace. I mean it was already accomplished
before the creation of the world. It can't go wrong. It's perfect. And you know that the Son of
God came in time and kept the law for me. He said to John the
Baptist in Matthew chapter 3 verse 15, Thus it becometh us. to fulfill
all righteousness. Everything He did, He did as
in us. And when He fulfilled all righteousness, I did too. And then He died on Calvary's
tree as my substitute and put away all my sin. He brought it
out. He made it to where it's no more.
So much so that He said, it is finished. That's another scripture
we got to read, I think, back in the back. It's finished. My
salvation is already accomplished. He was raised from the dead for
my justification. He's seated at the Father's right
hand, and I'm there in Him, united to Him. Now that gives me peace. That gives me joy. Turn to Jeremiah chapter 50. Verse 20. In those days, and at that time,
saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, would everybody read this out
loud with me, and there shall be none. You believe that? And the sins of Judah and they
shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve. Now. Here's the. Most simple way I can describe
this hope that I have that I've not. Experienced. But I hope this and I believe
this. Everything, everything that God
requires of me, He looks to His Son for. He doesn't look for
a thing out of me. He looks to my Redeemer. And
I rest my soul in that. For we, by the Spirit, wait. for the hope of righteousness."
Now, this waiting is the waiting of a confident expectation, patiently
waiting because we know it'll come to pass. I believe I'm righteous. I have a hope that I'm righteous.
I'm waiting for the time when I will experience it. I love
that passage of Scripture in 1 Corinthians 13 where Paul says,
Now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three, but the
greatest of these is charity. How come? My faith will be turned
aside and I won't need faith anymore. My hope will be turned
to experience. I won't need that anymore, but
I'm always going to be able to love my Redeemer. Okay, somebody says, that's a
mighty big talk and some mighty big claims. What makes you think
he did all that for you? You can't see it, but you're
hoping for it and waiting for it. Give me a reason. Well, let
me give you a reason. Hebrews 11.1 says, Now faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen. Romans 4.5 says to him that worketh
not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith
is counted for righteousness. Now, somebody's saying, can you
tell me what faith is? Yes, I can. Yes, I can. I can
tell you from the scriptures what faith is. I've given you
this scripture many times. I'll give it to you again. Faith
is made of three things. Real faith, God-given faith,
the faith of God's elect, the faith that's the gift of God,
the faith that's the evidence of spiritual life. It's made
of three things. Paul said in 2 Timothy 1, 12, I know whom
I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I've committed to him against that day. Now, faith begins with knowledge. I know. And first of all, it's knowledge
of a person. I know whom I have believed. And if you know this person,
here's one thing I know you're persuaded of. If you know him, you are persuaded
that he is able. That's what you believe. You
believe that he is able. You see, you can't believe what
you don't know. You can't know somebody you've
never seen or never come to have him reveal himself to you. You
can't believe something you've never heard. Knowledge, belief. Do you believe? Now let me ask
you a question, real simple question. Do you believe that Jesus Christ
is able to save you with no contribution, no help from you? You believe
that? But don't miss this. I know whom I believed, and I
am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed to
him against that day. Now, if you have a retirement
fund, you diversify, don't you? So if one thing goes wrong, you'll
have something else to fall back on. You don't put all your funds
in one place because something might go wrong, you cover your
bases. You have mutual funds, you have diversified funds, and
one might do bad and one might do good, and you end up pretty
much okay in the end. But you don't, not many people
put everything in one fund. But you know when you believe
the gospel, you don't diversify, do you? You don't diversify at
all. You commit the entire salvation
of your soul to him. Your hands are off. You believe
that who he is and what he did is all you have. And it's all you want, and it's
all you need. That's what commitment is. Now,
to believe in works in any form is a failure to commit. You're
trying to cover your bases. Well, if Christ doesn't work,
at least I'll have this. No, no. It's Christ only, it's
Christ alone, or you don't have him at all. Now, how do I know
that he has made me righteous? Well, I know whom I believe to
this extent. I really do believe he's able.
That's how I know I know Him. I really believe that He is able
to keep that which I've committed to Him, the salvation of my soul,
against that day. That day of judgment, all that's
going to be needed is Christ to say, He's one of mine. Nothing else needs to be said. For we, every believer through
the Spirit. This can only be done through
God the Holy Spirit, because we know that by nature we're
nothing but sin. Thank God for the Holy Spirit.
We, through the Spirit, wait. Patiently waiting for the hope
that we can't see right now, but we believe. The hope of righteousness
by faith. Well, the gospel's in that verse,
isn't it? Let's pray together. Lord, how we thank you for the
hope of righteousness. How we thank you that we have
your spirit that causes us to wait for the hope of righteousness.
Lord, we don't look for it in ourselves, we look for it in
thy son. And Lord, we really believe that
you see us, all believers, as righteous because we are righteous
through thy son. Lord, I ask in Christ's name
that faith might be given to each heart here according to
your will. Lord, we pray for your continued blessing upon
this assembly. We pray that we might be privileged
to see you save many sinners who will rejoice in the message
of your gospel. Lord, we pray for our Bible conference
that you would be pleased speak in a powerful and unusual way.
Oh, Lord, let us hear from you. Lord, we pray for your blessing
upon the TV, the radio, whatever way you cause your gospel to
go out. Bless us for Christ's sake. Lord,
enable us to be people who people ask us for the reason of the
hope that's in us. and give us the grace to give
the answer with all meekness and lowliness. In Christ's blessed
name we pray. Amen. We got Dwayne. Saved by grace, Father.